Amid scrubby, undulating terrain 21km south of Hampi, the Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary nurses a large population of free-ranging sloth bears in an area of 83 sq km. You have a good chance of spotting them, as honey is slathered on the rocks to coincide with the arrival of visitors. However, you can only see the bears from afar at the viewing platform. Bring binoculars or there’s no point turning up. Generally, late afternoon is the best time to visit.

　　The sanctuary is also home to leopards, wild boar, hyenas, jackals and other animals, but you’re unlikely to see anything besides peacocks. You’ll need to arrange transport to get here; from Hampi it's around ₹500 for an autorickshaw or ₹1000 for a car.